While the Ohio women's cross country team is making its run at nationals this year, the men's team is undergoing what coach Clay Calkins calls a strategical year, featuring a plethora of young runners including a talent-laden freshman class.
The team, which consists of two active seniors, two juniors, seven sophomores and 15 freshmen, has run at all the same meets as the women but not the elite heats the women are invited to. They may not be making the headlines and getting the attention the women are, but their progress this season already has many people, including Calkins, excited.
The freshmen have really stepped it up and already taken an advanced role beyond what normal freshmen have to take on
he said. To be in the highly competitive meets that these freshmen have had to undergo is pretty remarkable.
Headlining the strong rookie class are freshmen Brock Schwarz, Ridge Robinson and Will Rover. The three have rotated finishing order all season ' Schwarz and Robinson have finished first for Ohio in meets and Rover consistently has been atop the field as well.While they have handled the transition to collegiate competition well, it hasn't been as easy as it looks, Robinson said.
It has been a lot tougher here he said. The training is not so much different ' I mean it's a little higher mileage ' but as far as competition goes it's tough. There are a lot of guys who are at your level or faster.
Rover said the competition the team sees at most meets might as well be a high school state championship.
They're that big
he said.
Another key to success this season the freshmen runners pointed out has been the leadership of senior Craig Leon, who has worked with the freshmen as far back as Precollege. Leon is red-shirting this year in hopes of leading a more competitive team next year.
Craig is pretty much our leader
Robinson said. I think he's a really good role model for the group.
The decision to bring Leon back next year was best for the team, Calkins said.
We wanted to not only better his chances of being a possible national contender
but also do the best thing we could for the team
he said.
Looking ahead to next year, the presence of Leon, budding sophomores Shamus Eaton and Todd Holbrook and the constantly improving freshman class will make for a very competitive and well-structured team.Only a few years back, the now-dominating women were in a similar rebuilding situation. Finishing last in the Mid-American Conference in 2003, the team underwent a heavy renovation and are now favored to win the MAC this year.
Calkins said he notices some similarities between today's men's team and the women's team of yesteryear.We were very young on the women's side
he said. Through the recruiting process and just the hard work and dedication that the women have done for the last couple years
it's starting to show through now.
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